War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1 - Review

War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1 - Review

Story by
Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Art by
Paul Pelletier, Andrew Hennessy

I was a bit annoyed at having to pick this issue up to complete the recent ‘War of Kings’ storyline from Marvel. I’d bought the complete six issue mini series expecting the story line to be resolved within the last issue, but with what seems to becoming more and more of a trend (obviously to get more cash from us fans), we are told that this extra one shot will bring an end to the War of Kings saga. So I reluctantly parted with my hard earned cash and bought the extra issue. But was it worth it?

If you want true finality to this story arc then I would suggest yes.

Just a quick re-cap for those who didn’t pick up the ‘War of Kings’ mini:
- The Kree /Inhumans won
- The Shi’ar lost.
- Lilandra of the Shi’ar is killed and both Vulcan and Black Bolt die in the huge final battle which causes a tear in the fabric of space and time itself.

This issue dealt with the aftermath, and is a slow paced but good issue. The Shi’ar Empire is in Civil War and the Inhumans are mourning the loss of their king Black Bolt. The Inhumans arrive in the Shi’ar to appoint a new ‘Majestor’ the day of Lilandra’s funeral and end up in conflict with the Imperial Guard who still fight against the Kree/ Inhuman rule as they believe that Vulcan could still be alive. The battle between the two groups provides the action for this issue and is quite enjoyable. The main part of the story however is told from Gladiator’s perspective, who after the battle with the Imperial Guard, reluctantly decides to take up the mantle of ‘Majestor’ to the Sh’iar to try and bring some order to the empire. I like the idea of Gladiator finally stepping out of the shadows and coming to the forefront as ruler. His character has great potential as the pride and strong will he constantly has to battle against makes him an interesting read.

Another great story potential is the tear in space and time caused by Vulcan & Black Bolts final battle. As mentioned in the beginning of this issue, this rip in the fabric of space could possibly serve as a doorway to other dimensions and universes, so the potential for exploration story lines and other new threats is huge.

In the end this is a true epilogue to the recent War of Kings mini series but that should not put people off buying this issue if it interests you at all, as it also serves as a stepping stone to the next cosmic chapter in the Marvel U, Realm of Kings. Seems like Gladiator will get his time in the spot light for a little longer yet, so I’ll have my head in the Marvel U star’s for a little longer too.

Hex's score - 3.5 out of 5